Wings of Fate
by snuggalong
Summary: Sakura has lived many, many years, and the time has come for her passing. Told in many exciting chapters, this is the story of the new Cardcaptor and her struggle to capture the cards. Many obstacles stand in her way...can she succeed? -ON HIATUS-
1. Chapter One: The Final Journey

W i n g s o f F a t e

W i n g s o f F a t e

Author's Note: I'm taking a short break from Sea Glass: The Broken Memories, while I figure out where to go with it. So, for now, this is my new story, Wings of Fate. This is the story of Sakura's death…and the new Cardcaptor. Also, again, this follows the MANGA storyline, so there's only nineteen Sakura Cards, instead of…fifty-four, is it? Anywho, enjoy!

Disclaimer: CLAMP owns everything. But my characters and the plot are mine!

Chapter One: The Final Journey

Stars are just beginning to come out, casting their pale glow upon the countryside. In the west, the sky is a vivid pink, still colored from the receding sunset. In the depths of the Irish countryside sits a large stone mansion, surrounded by luxurious gardens and a low stone wall.

In the living room of this mansion, a girl sits, looking no older than twenty-eight. Silky auburn hair frames her pretty face, and her emerald eyes are luminous in the moonlight that shines through the window she is looking out of.

Distantly, she hears the voices of Yue and Kero in the kitchen, bickering once more. Silent tears trace down her cheeks as she comprehends what is about to happen. She has seen it; there is no denying it. Yet, with all her heart, she wishes she could change it.

Finally giving in to her emotions, she puts her head on her knees and sobs, all the good years she's had flashing in front of her eyes.

_"I knew it would come eventually…"_ she thinks. _"But still, I never thought it would come now…Syaoran. What will this do to him? I can't tell him…but I can't just…die, and not explain it. No, I can't do that. I must tell them."_

Having come to that decision, she let her magic pulse through the house, signaling that she wants to see everyone. Within a minute, Syaoran, Yue, and Kero were standing there, looking concerned. It was rare that she called all three of them at once.

Syaoran noticed her tear-stained face, and rushed forward to enfold her in his arms.

"What ever is the matter, Sakura?" he whispered in her ear.

Wiping her tears, she began to speak.

"I know this is the last thing you want to hear. I don't want it to happen either. But there is no changing fate." She took a deep breath, and then continued.

"My time…has…come."

Everyone was silent as they tried to absorb her words. Yue spoke first.

"Mistress…surely you are not serious?"

"I'm afraid it's true, Yue," she said.

She felt a small weight land in her lap, and looked down to see Kero there, crying.

"This can't be happening…" he said through his tears. "Not again…"

"Oh, Kero," Sakura said, and lifted the tiny guardian into the air to give him a hug. Suddenly, she realized who hadn't said anything yet. She turned.

"Syaoran?" she asked.

He didn't answer. He only sat there, still as ice. Finally, a single tear traced down his cheek, and, next thing she knew, she was being crushed in his arms as he hugged her.

"Sakura…" he whispered. "Don't leave."

"Do you think I want to?" she whispered back, arms wrapped around him. "Don't worry, I'll always watch over you from the clouds."

Finally, she detached herself.

"My time is short. Yue, Kero, I love you both…but please, accept your new master as you accepted me, all those years ago."

They both nodded, tears streaming. No matter how hard it would be, if that was what Sakura wished, then that was what they would do.

"When I die," Sakura said. "The Sakura Cards will be scattered once more. Your new master must be found soon, before they wreak havoc. They will be found in..."

Here she paused, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, they seemed even duller, as though her magic was depleting before their eyes.

"America," she said. Suddenly, she shuddered. "It's almost time."

She went to Yue first. Hugging him tight, she said quietly,

"Yue, don't forget I'm watching you. You treat your new master well, or I'll have something to say about it."

"Of course," he said. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head, before letting go. "Good-bye, Sakura."

"Good-bye, Yue-san."

Next was Kero. He had transformed into his true form, and he sat still as Sakura hugged him tightly.

"I'll never forget you, Sakura," he said, his voice thick with tears. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye Kero. Don't eat a lot of cake and get fat. But eat one every now and then…for me, okay?

"You bet I will," he said.

Finally was Syaoran. Kero and Yue stepped out, knowing that Sakura wanted to be alone.

"Syaoran…" she whispered. "Thank you for loving me. I know we started off as rivals…but we became friends, and friendship became love. And now you're my husband. I couldn't have asked for a better life."

Suddenly, she couldn't bear it anymore. She threw herself forward and hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back. They stayed that way for what seemed like forever, and then he gently pushed her away.

"Sakura…" he started. "You just said everything that I wanted to say. I know I can't change fate…so I guess this is good-bye. But not for long. I'll join you someday."

And with that, he pulled her close, and their mouths met in a passionate kiss, one that poured out all the feelings and memories and thoughts that they could never say. When they broke apart, it was with great regret.

Yue and Kero came back in, and Sakura slowly lowered herself onto the plush leather couch.

"Yue, Kero, Syaoran…" she said. "Thank you. For everything. I love you all so very much."

She closed her eyes, and her breathing became fast and shallow. A few minutes later, it slowed…and stopped.

Sakura was gone. Just like that, the girl that everyone loved was gone. Syaoran gathered her in his arms, whispering in her ear and crying. Yue and Kero just cried. They barely noticed as the Sakura Cards flew in and encircled Sakura and Syaoran. Only when they began to glow did they notice.

One glowed brighter than the rest. It was Mirror.

A soft voice emanated from the card.

"Thank you, Sakura, for everything that you've done for us."

With that, the cards vanished, scattered to the winds once more to await their new master.

As the cards left, Yue and Kero began to glow as well. Syaoran was surprised.

"It is time for us to return to the book," Yue said. "To wait for our new master, just like the cards."

"Then I guess this is the last time we'll see each other," Syaoran said.

"Yes," Yue said. "So, good-bye, descendant of Clow Reed…Syaoran."

"G'bye, brat," Kero said.

"'Bye," Syaoran said, and the two guardians vanished.

Syaoran sat once more, and held Sakura until she turned cold, and long after. He cried for a long time, his tears full of his memories of Sakura.

-x:x-

Meanwhile, in a country far away, the Clow Cards came to a rest, scattered to their respective positions at last. And in a small suburban town, in the dusty back shelves of the library, a pink book appeared. On the cover was a golden lion, and on the back was a winged moon. Gold script titles the book, "The Sakura."

Author's Note: So ends Chapter One. God, I was making myself cry. Jeez…anways, now begins the adventures of our new Cardcaptor. Course, it might be a few days until the next chapter is up…I need to think of characters, etc. Stay tuned, and please review!


	2. Chapter Two: The Broken Seal

W i n g s of F a t e

W i n g s of F a t e

Author's Note: Finally, here is the long awaited chapter two. This is where we get into the adventures of our new Cardcaptor, Alina Mattiano. Now, where is that notebook where I wrote down Alina's profile…-searches- Ah! Here it is. Well, I hope you enjoy! And thank-you, thank-you, THANK-YOU to all those faithful readers who didn't abandon me, and to all my new reviewers. Speaking of which…

Mysterious Angel Girl: Thanks for the compliment! I know, I was crying over Sakura's death as well, and I'm the writer…also, thanks for the suggestion on the cards…might follow through with it. -wink-

Aura-ryo-chima: Yah, I know I'm not supposed to, but no one would have found it if I added it on to a chapter…it's deleted now, anyways. Thanks for the compliment about the non-fluffiness! I'll read your story when I get a chance…

AnimeManga4evah: Thanks for the suggestion about the child, but I already have the new Cardcaptor planned out…also, she looked to be twenty-eight, but, in reality, she and Syaoran were a few hundred years old. Yes, Syaoran can live that long. He IS the second most powerful sorcerer in the world…thanks for the suggestion, though!

Hpwst101: THANK-YOU  for ze suggestion. I'm so going to use it…

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. Except the plot and my characters.

Well, on with the story! By the way, this takes place about three years after Sakura's death. Meaning, Syaoran is still alive…oooh. How's that going to play into the story? xD

Chapter Two: The Broken Seal

"_Mrphh…where am I?" _Alina Mattiano thought. _"Is this a dream?…must be."_

_Darkness. Infinite darkness. She was floating in an endless void. Then, a shape came into view. A book? A pink book?_

_Suddenly, the book opened, and several shapes flew out. Cards, to be exact. They surrounded her, emitting a pink glow. She read the name on one of them, confused._

"_The…Mirror…"_

_A voice echoed through the void, coming from the cards._

"_We await you…Cardcaptor. We await you…"_

_They faded from view, leaving only the book, and that was quickly vanishing as well. She caught a glimpse of the title before it disappeared…_

"_The…Sakura…"_

_Then everything faded away._

-x:x-

"Alina…"

"_What?"_

"ALINA!!"

"Hoeeee!!" Alina shrieked, sitting straight up in bed. "Must you yell at me EVERY morning, Maya?"

"Yes," her sister replied.

"Arghhh…well, I'm up now. So go away."

"No can do, little sis. I'm afraid Mom's told me not to leave you alone till you're up, dressed, and downstairs."

"Then wait outside the door," Alina said.

"Fine," Maya said, and stepped out.

Finally. Peace and quiet. Suddenly, she remembered her dream.

"What and odd dream…" she muttered. "We await you, Cardcaptor? What the heck's that supposed to mean? And 'hoe'? Where'd THAT come from…"

Then she noticed the time.

"Crap! I'm going to be late!"

She tore around the room, tossing books and binders into her backpack as she tugged on a pair of light-wash jeans and a purple t-shirt hoody thing, with a pocket on the front and a horizontal striped upper half. She shoved her feet into her sandals, brushing her hair as she did. She could braid it on the way to school…

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she raced downstairs, grabbing her breakfast of a bagel and some juice as she raced out the door.

A/N: Haha. Sound like anybody we know? xD

"Bye, Mom!" she called over her shoulder, even though she didn't hear the reply.

She slowed down when she was about halfway to school, certain that she would be on time. Yanking a hair scrunchie out of her pocket, she proceeded to put her hair into its customary loose braid.

A/N: I believe a description is in order, correct?

Alina Mattiano. Fourteen-years-old, with long, straight ebony hair, and two different colored eyes; one is gray, and one is green. Pretty, but not too pretty. Medium height, (Five-five) and thin from years of gymnastics. Not that she let's any of this go to her head. She's very nice once you get to know her. Family you ask? Mom, dad, Adam, and Maya. Plus her. Friends? Isobel and Joseph. Speaking of which, here they come now…

"Hey, Alina!" Isobel called out. "Wait up!"

Alina slowed, not turning around. Finally, Isobel caught up, Joseph close behind.

"Jeez, Alina," Joseph wheezed. "Do you mind waiting for the poor athletically challenged people in the morning?"

"Sorry, guys," she said, blushing. "I just can't wait for the field trip today!"

"Oh yeah!" Isobel said. "We're going to the New York Public Library, right?"

"Yup!" Alina said, excited. Caraway, New York was rather far from the big city, so her parents never had time to take her. But now they were going there!

"I still don't see what's so exciting about a bunch of books," Joseph said.

Alina sighed. Joseph hated reading, always had.

"It's not just any bunch of books," she said. "It's about the biggest collection of books in the whole state of New York!"

"Whatever," Joseph said, shrugging.

That's when Alina remembered her dream.

"Oh!" she said. "You guys, I have to tell you about this weird dream I had last night…"

Ten minutes later…

"So," Isobel said, intrigued. "The voice said 'We await you, Cardcaptor.'"

"Yeah…" Alina replied. "I wonder what it means."

"Well, we can talk about it on the bus," Joseph said. "'Cause we're at school."

"'Kay," they chorused, and raced off to their lockers.

-x:x-

Alina slid into her seat just as the bell rang, as did Joseph and Isobel. Good thing, too, because Mrs. Lewone walked in five seconds later. Everyone stopped talking instantly. Mrs. Lewone was /very/ strict…

"Good morning, class," she said. "I trust you're all ready for the field trip?"

"Yes!" they all said, and she smiled.

"Good. Now…attendance…"

By nine-o-clock, they were all on the bus. Alina, Joseph, and Isobel sat in the back, so they could discuss Alina's dream without being heard.

Alina watched her school vanish behind a copse of trees, then turned to her friends.

"So," she said. "What do you guys think it means?"

"I don't know…" Joseph said, shrugging.

"You know, Alina, it could just be a dream," Isobel said.

"That's the thing!" Alina said, exasperated. "It didn't /feel/ like a normal dream. It felt real! Yes, I know that cards can't talk…but what if it is real?"

"We'll just have to keep an eye out, then," Isobel replied. "Well, I'm going to read…" And with that, she yanked "The Dark River" out of her pack, and began to read.

Joseph pulled an Ipod out of his pack.

Alina sighed, and turned back to the window. She was suddenly finding it hard to keep her eyes open…now was the time to catch up on some…much…needed…sleep…

-x:x-

_Alina opened her eyes to find herself, once more, in the void._

"_Again?" she thought._

_Once more, the blackness faded away, and she found herself standing in a room. A few feet away from her was a young woman, looking to be in her twenties, with auburn hair and emerald eyes. She was being hugged by a man with chocolate hair and amber eyes._

_They seemed to have arrived at the end of a conversation, for the door of the room opened, and in stepped a large golden lion with wings, and what appeared to be an angel._

_The woman lowered herself onto a couch, and spoke._

"_Yue, Kero, Syaoran…" she said. "Thank you. For everything. I love you all so very much."_

"_She's dying!" Alina thought. And so she was…for a few minutes later, the woman's breathing stopped._

_The young man took her in his arms, crying. The beings were also crying. Suddenly, a set of cards flew in, encircling the two on the couch._

"_Those are the cards from my first dream!" Alina thought._

_The cards began to glow, and a voice came from one of them. The Mirror._

"_Thank you, Sakura, for everything you've done for us." With that, the cards vanished._

_Suddenly, the beings began to glow as well._

"_It is time for us to return to the book," the angel said. "To wait for our new master, just like the cards."_

"_Then I guess this is the last time we'll see each other," the boy said._

"_Yes," the angel replied. "So, good-bye, descendant of Clow Reed…Syaoran."_

"_G'bye, brat," the lion said._

"'_Bye," the man replied, and the two beings vanished._

_The scene faded back to the void, and then the void vanished as well._

-x:x-

Alina opened her eyes to find Isobel standing over her.

"Finally!" Isobel said, shaking her head. "I've been trying to wake you up for five minutes. We're at the library."

"Whaaa…" Alina said, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Then she remembered, and jumped up. She could see the rest of the students getting off the bus.

"Thanks, Isobel," she said.

"No problem," Isobel replied.

"So, the dead one lives again?" a voice said when they were off the bus. Alina turned to see Joseph.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Alina said. "I'm surprised /you/ didn't knock yourself out, what with the rap you were blasting into your ears."

"Touché," he said.

"Anyways…" Alina glanced around, then motioned her friends closer. "I had another dream."

She was about to tell them about it, when Mrs. Lewone called out,

"Alina! Joseph! Isobel! Move it!"

"Yes, ma'am!" they said, and raced towards the building. As they caught up with the group, Alina whispered,

"I'll tell you at lunch."

-x:x-

Several hours later, Alina flopped down across from her friends, sitting at one of the many tables in the library's café.

A/N: Does the NYPL have a café? My local library does…oh well. In this story, it does!

"Man, I'm beat!" she said. "Who knew a library tour could be so exhausting."

"Seriously," Joseph said.

"Well," Isobel said. "According to our schedule, after lunch is free exploration, meaning we can basically just explore on our own, find books, etc.

A/N: If you're wondering how they're going to get the books back; ever heard of mail, people?

"Good," Alina said. "I want to have another look at the ancient books section…"

"I want to check out fantasy," Isobel added.

Amazingly, Joseph also had a section he was interested in.

"Martial arts," he said, through a mouthful of food. "This one book on jujitsu looked interesting…what?" he added when he noticed their expressions.

"You actually /want/ to read a book?" Isobel asked. "Be still, my heart."

"Yeah, yeah" he said. "Laugh it up. You won't be laughing when I can knock you out with pressure points…"

That only made Alina and Isobel laugh harder.

And so lunch ended on a happy note, at least for the two girls. And Alina completely forgot about her dream…

-x:x-

"Ancient books…ancient books…ah! Ancient books!" Alina said as she made her way through the library. This place could be so confusing.

She stepped into the small room, careful to close the door behind her. Surprisingly, there was no one else in there. Ah, well. More books for her.

She made her way over to one of the shelves, and began to scan the titles, looking for something interesting. Nothing there…

Making her way through the room, she continued to find nothing. Then one book caught her eye…

"Ancient Eastern Clans…" she said aloud. She carefully took the book of the shelf, and blew the dust off. The cover was a handsome red with gold trim; the title written in gold script. She sat down at one of the small tables in the room, and opened the book at random.

The heading at the top was…

A/N: Can you guess?

The Li Clan.

Alina didn't know why, but this book was very intriguing. She began to read…

Fifteen Minutes Later.

"_Wow,"_ Alina thought. _"What a powerful Clan…"_

She slipped the book into her pack, glancing at her watch as she did so. She still had twenty minutes before their class had to meet to leave…why not check out the rest of the shelves?

She resumed her scanning of the titles, but no more books caught her eye…until the very last book on the very last shelf.

A/N: Again, can you guess what book it is? xD

It was a…very odd book. Pink, with golden script. On the front is the image of a winged lion, on the back, a winged moon. Also adorning the book is a strange circle with a star in the middle, surrounded by a sun, a moon, and some strange characters.

Then Alina sees the title

"The…Sakura…" she whispers. Then she notices the time.

"Dangit! I'm going to be late." And before the significance of the name can sink in, she stuffs it into her bag, and races for the checkout.

-x:x-

Amazingly, the people ahead of her in the checkout line are Isobel and Joseph.

"Hey guys!" she greets breathlessly. They turn.

"Alina!" Isobel says. "We thought you weren't going to make it in time!"

"Well, here I am," she says. "Did you guys get your books?"

"Yup!" Isobel replies, proudly showing off the fantasy books she has clutched in her arms.

"I got my book too," Joseph says, showing them the jujitsu book. "Just you wait! I'll be able to knock you guys out by the time we get back to school…"

With that, he opens the book and begins reading, only pausing when the line moves forward.

"What did you get, Alina?" Isobel asks.

"I got this book on Eastern Clans…" she replied. "It's actually pretty interesting. And then I got this…"

She pulled out the Sakura Book. That's when it hits her.

"Holy god! This is the book from my dream!"

"Really?" Isobel practically shrieks. "Oh my god, let me see."

Without waiting for an answer, she yanks the book out of Alina's hands and begins to examine it, taking it the weird designs.

Apparently, Isobel's shriek caught the attention of Joseph. Because he looks up.

"Did I hear you say that's the book from your dream?" he asks.

Alina nods.

"Wicked! You have to show it to me on the bus!" And he goes back to his jujitsu book.

Alina notices Isobel trying to open the book, without much success.

"What's…with…this…confounded…thing…" she pants. "Why won't it open?"

"Isobel, we can worry about that on the bus. It's your turn…" Alina says.

"What?" Isobel replies, looking up. "Oh…" She hands the book back to Alina, and steps up to the desk.

"Joseph, you're up next…" Alina pokes him.

"Dangit!" he says. " I was just starting to learn pressure points…"

Reaching around Isobel, he grabs a bookmark, marks his place, and closes the book. A few minutes later, it's Alina's turn to check-out.

"Hello, dear," the librarian says. "What have you got for me today?"

"Ummm…these two," Alina says, yanking the two out of her pack.

The librarian quickly scans the Clans book, then reaches for the Sakura book. She attempts to open it for the bar code…to no avail.

"Hmmm…" she says. "That's odd…it seems this book doesn't have a bar code…let me look it up."

She types the name into the computer. A few seconds later, her eyes widen in surprise.

"It appears there's no record of this book in the catalog. Where did you find this, dear?"

"Th-the ancient books section."

"Did you now…well, seeing as it's not our book, I can't exactly not let you take it, can I? Just take it with you, and don't worry about bringing it back."

"Thank you!" Alina says, and, stuffing the two books into her pack, she runs out of the library.

-x:x-

Back on the bus, Isobel again takes the book from her, and attempts to open it.

"What is wrong with this book?" she fumes, tossing it onto the seat.

"Let me have a go," Joseph says. He picks up the book and yanks the cover hard. Nothing. The cover remains stubbornly shut.

"Isobel's right, something is wrong with this book." He says.

"Alina, how about you try?" Isobel asks. "You're the one who saw it in a dream…"

"I don't know…" Alina replies. "You guys, something tells me we shouldn't open it on the bus, if it can be opened. How about we meet at my house after school?"

"All right…" they reply.

Alina smiles, then turns to the window. She is about to fall asleep, when she remembers her dream.

"I'm such an idiot!" she says, turning back to her friends. "I forgot about my second dream!"

"You're right!" Isobel says. "Tell us now."

And Alina tells them. They sit in silence when she finishes, pondering this new mystery.

"Hmmm…" Joseph says. "Was it like the first dream? You know…the real feeling?"

"Yeah," Alina replies. "Except, this time, it felt more like…the past. As though it had already happened.

"Maybe it did," Isobel says. "Maybe you saw a vision of the past. Those cards from the first dream were there, right?

"Yes…and the winged lion looked a lot like the lion on this book…"

"Well," Joseph says. "We can finish discussing this this afternoon."

"Okay…"

With that, Alina again turns to the window and falls asleep. She sleeps without dreams for the first time in a long time…

-x:x-

Later that afternoon, they are walking home, carefully avoiding any talk of the book. Suddenly, three people step out of the bushes in front of them and stand there, blocking their way.

Alina groans. The figures are Clarissa, the class idiot/bully, and her two cronies, Stejara and Elyssa.

A/N: I'm sorry Stejara! Yes, I have a friend named Stejara. The name just seemed right…

"Hey, Clarissa," Isobel says, trying to act casual. Sadly, Clarissa doesn't fall for it.

"Don't act so casual with me, you little dopes. Don't you know who you're talking to?"

They do. Clarissa is the daughter of some big hot-shot lawyer, so she's very rich. She thinks she's better than everyone.

Then Clarissa remembers why she's there.

"Anyways, you little dopes, we saw that book that Alina checked out. We saw the gold on it. And I want it."

"What makes you think we're going to give it to you?" Joseph says coldly.

"What makes you think you're not?" Clarissa retorts.

Alina steps in front of her friends. Placing one hand behind her backs, she makes a fist, then a thumbs up sign. It's their signal for "On three, split and meet at my house."

They both poke her hand, letting them know that they got the message.

"THREE!" Alina yells, and takes off, running past Clarissa and her friends. For a second they just stand there, then, coming to their senses, split and chase after them. Sparing a glance behind her, she sees that Stejara has gone after Isobel, Elyssa after Joseph, and Clarissa after her.

"_Good thing Stejara and Elyssa are slow..."_ she thinks. She whips around the corner, and her house comes into view. She tears through the gate, up the steps, and through the door slamming it behind her. Sagging against it, she jumps when there's a knock. The open door reveals none other than Joseph and Isobel, panting and wheezing.

She ushers them inside, closing the door and locking it behind them.

-x:x-

A few minutes later, they're sitting in her attic bedroom, downing cokes.

"God, I hate Clarissa," Isobel says, finally putting her can down.

"I know," Joseph says.

"She's so greedy…" Alina says. "Well, we're safe. Let's return to our original problem; the non-opening book."

She pulls the book out and places it in front of her, staring at it. Suddenly Isobel grabs it and yanks the cover. Nothing.

"Dangit!" she say says.

Joseph laughs.

"Did you think you could catch it by surprise, Isobel?"

But he too, takes it and yanks the cover, again to no avail. Placing it back in the center, he and Isobel both look expectantly at Alina.

She sighs.

"You're not going to let me leave unless I try, are you?"

"Nope!" they chorus.

"Fine," she says, picking up the book, and giving the cover a tug. "There, happy now? It didn't op-"

She never gets a chance to finish her sentence, because at that moment there's a click and the cover falls open. She goes silent with shock. Joseph and Isobel both have smug looks on their faces.

"What the…" she says. It isn't a book. There's a hollowed out bit in the middle, in the shape of a rectangle. It's empty.

"Wicked!" Joseph says. He's about to grab it out of Alina's hands when there's a brilliant flash of golden light from the book

Alina yelps and throws it across the room. It slams into the wall, then falls onto the floor, face down.

They stare at it for a few moments, and then Alina notices something strange.

"Is it just me, or is the front cover…bulging?"

And indeed it was. The bulge kept getting bigger…until they realized that a /creature/ was rising out of the book. First came a large golden head with big round ears, then a small golden body…and a long tail with a plume at the end. And it had wings.

"A…stuffed animal?" Joseph said, incredulous.

Apparently it heard him, because its eyes snapped open and it looked at him. AND IT SPOKE!!

"Hey!! Watch who you're calling a stuffed animal, kid!" it said. "Gaki…" it muttered under its breath.

Alina and Isobel stared at it. And screamed.

"AHHHHHHH!! The…it…he…it spoke!"

"Yeah, I speak!" The thing said. "Of course I speak! I'm Cerberus, Creature and Guardian of the Seal! Otherwise known as Kero!"

"Wh-what are you sealing?" Isobel asked. For a moment, a look of sadness came over Cerberus's features. He remembered the last time someone had spoken those words…all too well. But he quickly hid it.

"The Sakura Cards, of course!"

"The Sakura Cards?"

"Great…a bunch of bakas…" he said.

"Bakas?"

"Oh…nothing," he said. "Heh-heh. Anyways, sit, and let my knowledge be poured into your puny minds!"

They sat.

"Hundreds of year ago, in fact, I think about a thousand, the famous sorcerer Clow Reed made a magical deck of cards called the Clow Cards, each with their own power."

"He also made two guardians to protect the Clow Cards. I'm Cerberus, the Sun Guardian. I can't tell you who the other one is."

"Anyways, when Clow died, the cards were scattered to the winds once more. A few hundred years later, a young girl named Sakura opened the book, and became the Cardcaptor. I helped her to capture the cards and become Master of the Clow. Then the cards stopped working, because their source of the power, the Night, was different than Sakura's, the Stars. She transformed the cards into Sakura cards, and she was done. Now, which one of you opened the book?"

He purposely left out Sakura's death…he wasn't ready to talk about it.

Timidly, Alina raised her hand.

"All right! That means you must have the potential to use magic!"

A/N: Yes, I know I'm using the words from the book.

"Magic?" Alina asked.

"Yes, magic. Only those with magic can open the book. And you're going to have to use that magic to capture the scattered Sakura Cards again. If you don't…well…it says it on the book. 'Herein lie the Sakura Cards. If their seal is broken, disaster will befall this world…'"

"Disaster?" Joseph said. "What kind of disaster?"

"Depends on who's involved…" Cerberus said. "Anyways."

He turned to Alina.

"Do you accept the mission of collecting the Sakura Cards?"

"I-I do." Alina said.

"Great! What's your name?"

"Alina."

"'Kay. Don't move, Alina."

He floated across the room, and began to speak.

"Key of the seal."

A small key, with a circle containing a star and with wings on the side on top, floated out of the book.

"Someone wishes to make a contract with you. A girl. Her name is Alina. KEY! Bestow your power on her! RELEASE!"

The key expanded into a small staff. A wind began to blow, and a bright light filled the room. Alina could barely see. Isobel and Joseph covered their eyes.

Distantly, Alina heard Kero's voice.

"Alina! Grab the staff!"

She reached out towards the dim outline of the staff…and closed her fingers around it. There was another flash of light, and then the glow faded, leaving behind a staff about three-and-a-half feet long.

"Whoa…" Alina whispered.

Joseph and Isobel uncovered their eyes.

"Wicked!" they chorused.

Almost sadly, Kero said the familiar words.

"Annndd…hocus-pocus…a Cardcaptor…is born!"

-x:x-

Far away, in a mansion nestled in the hills of the Irish countryside, a man sits in the middle of a large padded room, meditating. Hanging on the wall of this room is a square board, a compass of sorts. Suddenly, a flash of light fills the room, and the board begins to glow.

The mans eyes snap open, a vivid amber.

"So…" he says. "The time has come. The seal has been broken…and the new Cardcaptor has been chosen. I must do all that I can to help them…for that was Sakura's last wish to me."

With that, he stood, took the compass off the wall, muttered a few words, and vanished.

-x:x-

Several hundred miles away, in another mansion outside London, another man sat in meditation, spectacles flashing in the sunlight coming through the curtains. He too, felt the pulse of familiar magic half a world away, and smiled. He opened his eyes, a deep purple, stood, and walked to the window, looking out over the garden below.

"Good luck, my young Cardcaptor..." he said. "May fortune be with you."

He went silent for a moment, and then spoke again.

"And good luck, my descendant…do not let the past cloud your judgment."

He went silent again, the spoke one more sentence.

"I'm sure you'll be all right."

Author's Note: So ends chapter two! That is absolutely, positively the LONGEST chapter I have ever written. Took me about four hours…hope you liked! Next chapter gets into the action, with the capturing of Alina's first card! Do you all know who those last two people are? You'd better. If not…OSAKA SPECIAL CHOP!! DENSE PEOPLE!! xD Just kidding. Keep reviewing! Till chapter three, au revoir!

Also, hpwst101, I thank you again for your library idea. 


	3. Chapter Three: Angel Wings&Flower Petals

W i n g s o f F a t e

W i n g s o f F a t e

Author's Note: At last, here it is! Dun-dun-DUNNN. Chapter Three. Whoot! Anywho, just read. This chapter is Alina's first card…or maybe cards…-grins evilly- Now, while I may be using the Anime Cards, I will be using the manga chants, spells, names, etc. Please don't hesitate to put any mess-ups on the part of the cards in your reviews! As I said, never seen the anime. (Though I finally ordered the Sealed Card Movie.) Well, read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!! -sniffle- WHY MUST THE WORLD BE SO CRUEL??

-mental slap- Sorry 'bout that. Onwards!

Chapter Three: Angel Wings&Flower Petals

Alina awoke the next morning to find a large yellow fluff-ball filling her vision, beady black eyes staring into her face.

"Phweee!!" she shrieked. Apparently, yesterday's events were still tangled in the cobwebs of sleep.

She sat straight up, rubbing her eyes as she did. That's when the memories came crashing in with the force of a bull.

"Kero…" she muttered, blinking.

(A/N: Random note! HAPPYHAPPYHAPPY!! –dances- My CCS DVD mentioned at the beginning just arrived! YESYESYES!! 'Tis totally awesome! Okay, sorry. On with the story.)

"Who'd ja think it was?" he asked. "Oh, by the way, I think you're going to be late if you don't get up in…five seconds!!"

"PHWEEEEE!!" she shrieked, and jumped out of bed, tearing around the room.

Kero went silent as an old memory came into his mind.

**Flashback**

_"Sakura, get up!" Kero shouted in his mistress's face. "You're going to be late!"_

_Sakura simply mumbled and turned over in her sleep._

_"Why do you always choose the hard way…" Kero sighed, as his wings surrounded him in a glowing cocoon. _

_Seconds later, he stood there in his true form._

_"SAKURA, GET UP!!" he roared._

_"Hoeeee!!" the girl shrieked, and sat up. "Kero, what did you do that for?"_

_"Cuz you're going to be late, kiddo!"_

_"HOEEEE!!"_

**End Flashback**

Kero snapped out of his reverie as Alina rushed by, tossing books into her backpack as she yanked on a white cotton one-button jacket and tossed the star key around her neck.

"Kero, get in the bag!" she said. He instantly complied, nestling himself among her books and papers.

Alina zipped the bag shut and threw her sandals on, even as she placed a knit cap on her head. God, this kid was good at multi-tasking…just like Sakura.

_"No, Kero, NO!" _the guardian thought. _"Do NOT go down that road."_ Instead, he focused on last night.

Alina had taken it pretty well for a kid who was just told by a plush creature that she had magic. After teaching her how to release the staff and return the Sakura Cards to their original form, her friends had gone home, and she had immediately collapsed on her bed, exhausted. Yeah, magic could do that to people…

Peeking out of the tiny breathing hole, he could see trees rushing by. Apparently Alina was eating on the run.

Meanwhile, Alina herself was still in shock from last night. Honestly, finding out that magic exists, that she has a destiny to collect the most powerful magical items in existence…that could do things to your mind.

"Alina!" a voice called from behind her. She turned to see Isobel racing down the sidewalk. Strangely, Joseph was nowhere in sight.

"Finally caught up to you!" Isobel gasped when she was walking besides Alina. "How was the first night with Mr. Plush Toy?

"I am NOT a plush toy!" a muffled voice from inside Alina's bag shouted.

"Sorry…" Isobel said. "Anyways, I finally found a use for that video camera that I got for my birthday!"

(A/N: Can you guess? Yes, I'm going to have her tape Alina's adventures. Not that I'm trying to copy the original series or anything, but it just seems right. By the way, I'ma watching ze DVD right now…for about the tenth time. xD)

"What?" Alina said warily.

"I'm going to tape your adventures of course!" Isobel said, bouncing with excitement.

"Phweee…" Alina said. Then she remembered.

"Oh yeah! Where's Joseph?"

"He's sick today…" Isobel replied. "But, I think he's faking it to get out of the mythology test…"

"If he'd just study for once in his life…" Alina sighed.

"As if that'll ever happen," Isobel laughed.

"True," Alina said.

After that, all conversation stilled for they had arrived at school.

-x:x-

Alina slid into her homeroom seat seconds before the bell rang, but her thoughts were somewhere else.

_"I wonder when the first Sakura Card will show up…" _she thought._ "Kero said that the first one is usually easy…like Windy, or Flower…"_

"Ms. Mattiano, would you care to join us?" a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Phweee?" she said, and looked up into the exasperated face of Mrs. Lewone.

."Gomen nasai, Mrs. Lewone," she said. "Please continue."

"Excuse me?" the teacher asked.

That's when she realized what she had said.

"Oops! I meant 'sorry'," she gasped.

The teacher looked at her oddly for a moment, then returned to the front of the class.

"As I was saying, I hope you are all prepared for the mythology test…now, as I said yesterday, there will be a bonus question."

She reached for a strip of paper on the board, one of five, to be precise. Tearing it away, she said,

"This is your question. 'What is one of the mythological Clow Cards, created by the sorcerer of legend, Clow Reed?"

(A/N: Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming! Yes, I can do this, because it's mythology. There is magic in mythology.)

At this, Alina's head shot up, shock written all over her face. She heard Kero's exclamations of surprise from inside her bag, and when she looked over at Isobel, the girl was looking at her with eyebrows raised, as if to say, "Whoa, aren't those your cards?"

That's when Alina remembered they had done a mini-one day unit on Clow Reed…it had completely slipped her mind last night. Oh, well…at least no one knew that the cards actually existed…or that they were now Sakura Cards…

The tests were passed out, and she flipped it over. Taking a deep breath, she began…

-x:x-

Later that day, they were walking home from school. Both Isobel and Alina had barely had time to talk all day, but the only thing on their minds at the moment was the test.

"What did you say for the bonus question?" Isobel asks.

"I said Fly," Alina replied. "What did you say?"

"Flower," Isobel said.

From inside Alina's bag, Kero spoke out.

"I can't believe that non-magical people actually know about Clow Reed and the Cards. Honestly. And Sakura was so good about secrecy…as well as the Li brat…and Hiiragizawa…"

Too late, he realized he had said too much.

"Sakura…" Alina mused. "Kero, you've talked about her before. She was your old mistress, right? What happened to her?"

Kero sighed. He knew this day would come eventually…

"She died," he said curtly. "Please…I don't want to talk about it."

"But-" Isobel began, until Alina shushed her, then asked another question.

"You also said Li…why does that sound familiar? Li, Li…oh my god! That was the Clan I read about in that Ancient Eastern Clans book! You're saying you know one of them?"

"Yeah," Kero said softly. "The leader. Li Xiaolang. Syaoran. Brat."

"You know the leader of the most powerful Clan in China!" Isobel practically shrieked.

"Yes," Kero said. "He came to Japan when Sakura was collecting the cards…tried to take them from her. But he couldn't, and eventually, he started helping her. They fell in love…he was her husband. I think he's actually still alive."

"What about Hiiragizawa?" Isobel asked.

"Don't ask me about that," Kero said. "You'll find out all in due time…"

"Oh!" Alina said, remembering her odd choice of words in homeroom that day. "Kero, what does 'gomen nasai' mean? I kinda blurted it out in homeroom today…"

Kero looked pained.

"It's a formal way to say 'sorry' in Japanese."

"But I don't know any Japanese…" Alina looked thoughtful.

Kero was about to speak again, but, unfortunately, he was cut off by three familiar people appearing in front of them…yeah, you guessed it…

Clarissa, Stejara, and Elyssa. And boy, were they mad.

Clarissa spoke,

"You little dopes may have outsmarted us yesterday, but not today. Now, where's that book? Give it to me, and we might let you go without a beating…"

"The book is somewhere safe," Alina said. "And we'll never give it to you. It is rightfully mine."

"Yeah, right," Stejara scoffed. "It belongs to Clarissa, not you. Filth like you could never be allowed to own something like that."

But Alina had had enough. She was about to say something when a voice shouted,

"This way!"

Alina and Isobel turned to see Joseph, gesturing wildly. Before the three bullies could react, they were running, following Joseph.

Several minutes later, they stopped, gasping, in the park. They flopped onto the grass, too exhausted to speak. Finally, Joseph broke the silence.

"So…what's up?"

"We should ask you the same thing, Mr. I'm-sick." Isobel retorted.

"Heh-heh…" he sweat-dropped anime style.

"Anyways, thanks for the save, Joseph," Alina said.

"Anytime," he replied.

They sat there for a few more minutes, still trying to catch their breath. Suddenly, Alina began to feel funny…like something dangerous was really close…

"Alina!" Kero shouted, popping out of her bag. "There's a Sakura card nearby!"

"I know!" Alina said, leaping to her feet. "I can feel it!"

Kero looked surprised.

"Her magic is stronger than I thought…" he muttered. "Anyways, use the key!"

"Okay!" Alina replied.

Her friends sat in stunned silence behind her. Finally, Isobel had the brains to take out her camera. She switched it on just in time to catch Alina releasing the key.

"Key that hides the power of the stars,"

"Show me your true form!"

"By the covenant, I, Alina, command you!"

RELEASE!!"

The key expanded into the star staff, and Alina clutched it close, looking wildly around her.

"Wicked!" Joseph whispered.

Suddenly, the three of them were practically blown of their feet by a strong gust of wind. Dimly, Alina heard a noise.

"Coo…coo…coo…"

"A bird?" she shouted over the wind. And so it was. Soaring over her was a massive bird…like a crane.

"It's the Fly!" Kero shouted. "You're going to have to try to calm it down or weaken it!"

"How?" she shouted back.

But Kero's reply was lost in the wind.

"All right…" she muttered. "Here goes…trying to calm down an all-powerful demonic bird."

She shouted at the card. She didn't want to have to attack it…so calming it was the only option. Not that she had anything to attack it with.

"Fly! Please calm down! It'll be all right!"

Apparently the bird didn't hear her. If anything, it seemed more agitated.

She tried again.

"Please, Fly! I don't want to hurt you! I just want to help you. It'll be all right!"

Behind her, Isobel was still taping, eyes wide in awe.

Was it just her, or did the bird seem to be calming down…?

Indeed it was. At last, it landed in front of Alina, its head bowed in deference.

"Seal it!" Kero shouted.

Holding the staff out in front of her, Alina chanted the words Kero had taught her the night before.

"Return to the form you were meant to be…Sakura Card!"

A blank card formed in front of her staff, and the bird was sucked into it. The card floated into Alina's hand.

"The...Fly…" she whispered.

"Alina!" her friends shouted, running over to her. Kero was right behind them.

"I did it!" she said, turning to them. "I captured my first Sakura Card!"

"Good job!" Kero said. "Now you need to write your name on it."

"Phwee?" Alina said, confused. "Why do I need to do that?"

"If you don't, the card will disobey you." Kero said. "Writing your name on it tells the card that you are its master."

"All right…" she said, and walked over to her backpack to dig out a pen

She wrote her name in block letters on the bottom of the card, careful to be neat.

"A…L…I…N…A…" she said as she wrote. "There!"

"Put it in the book when you get home," Kero said. "That'll keep it safe."

"Okay," she said.

"Well, we'd better head home…" Isobel said.

"Yeah," Joseph added. "We'd better hope Clarissa and her cronies aren't waiting for us though…"

"Yeah, hope," Alina said. "Well, see you tomorrow!"

"See you!" they chorused, and they split, hurrying to get home.

Little did they know, three pairs of beady, greedy eyes were watching them from a copse of bushes at the edge of the park…three pairs of eyes that had suddenly lit up at the possibility of blackmail.

While on the other side of the park, invisible to humans, a pair of glowing amber eyes watched them go…sadness evident within them.

"So it truly has begun…" the owner of the eyes whispered. "Good luck…Alina."

-x:x-

The next day, Alina, Joseph, and Isobel arrived at school several minutes before homeroom, wanting to talk without anyone hearing them.

Kero was inside Alina's backpack, sleeping soundly on top of the Sakura Book, the Fly Card locked safely inside.

Unfortunately, talking wasn't going to be an option…because Clarissa and Co. were waiting for them.

(A/N: Yes, I know this is getting a bit repetitive…but, trust me, it's necessary for the plot.)

Alina groaned. Would they ever be free of these bullies?

"What do you want this time, Clarissa?" Joseph asked. "If it's the book, you still can't have it."

"Oh, you're going to give it to me," Clarissa said. "Because if you don't, I'll tell the whole school your little secret about the…Fly Card, was it? And that cute little pink staff?"

Alina gasped. How did she know? The three girls must have followed them to the park…

But Isobel was calm.

"What on earth are you talking about, Clarissa?" she said, her voice full of genuine curiosity…or so it seemed. God, that girl could act…

"Don't play dumb with us!" Elyssa said. "We know what we saw…now hand over the book, and that little key, before we take it from you."

"I recommend the three of you go to the nurse…or a psychiatrist," Isobel said sweetly. "I think the three of you must have hit your head…"

And with that, she grabbed her two friends and dragged them into the school, away from the idiots.

-x:x-

Later, at lunch, they sat in a secluded corner of the courtyard, talking in low voices.

"How did she find out?" Joseph asked, as Alina slipped a brownie into her bag for Kero.

"I think she followed us to the park and saw the whole thing," Alina replied. "We'll just have to be on our guard next time…"

Suddenly, something fell onto Alina's lunch.

"Phweee?" she said, picking it up. "A flower petal? At this time of year? All the trees are bare…"

Another flower petal dropped into Isobel's lap, and another onto Joseph's head.

"What the…" Joseph muttered.

Looking around the courtyard, Alina could see that everyone was noticing the flower shower. Whispers echoed through the air…

"What is this?"

"Where are all these petals coming from?"

"It's too late in the year for flowers…"

"What kind of flower is this?"

That's when Alina realized that she had never seen the flowers before.

"Kero, what kind of flower petal is this?"

The guardian poked his head out of the bag, sniffed the air, and then said in a sad voice…

"Sakura petals. Cherry blossoms."

Before Alina could reply, a shout rang across the courtyard, the voice recognizable even though nothing was visible through the downpour of flowers.

"Mattiano is doing this! Alina is causing the flowers!"

"Clarissa…" Isobel muttered darkly.

"Kero, is this a Sakura Card?"

"Let me see…" the tiny guardian said, closing his eyes. "Yes, it is! Find the source of the flowers…"

"But I can't see anything!"

"Use Fly!"

"Oh, right!"

Alina took the key from her neck, tossed it into the air, and called,

"RELEASE!"

Within moments, she was clutching the staff. Reaching into her bag, she found the Sakura book and opened it. She pulled out the Fly and tossed it into the air, hitting it with her staff.

"FLY!" she called, and wings sprouted from the staff. Swinging a leg over the staff, she called to her friends,

"Get on!"

They quickly followed her directions, and, next thing they knew, they were high in the air, Joseph with his arms around Alina's waist, and Isobel clutching at him.

Kero flew beside them, scanning the vicinity for the source of the flowers.

"There!" Isobel said suddenly, pointing.

Looking in the direction of her arm, they saw that the flowers were coming from atop a tall oak tree on the edge of the courtyard.

"It's the Flower Card!" Kero called.

"Obviously!" Joseph called back. They landed on the roof behind the oak tree, and Alina ran to the edge. The card turned to face her, smiling. Flowers stopped falling, and the woman stood there, not moving, and still smiling.

"It's almost like she wants me to capture her..." Alina muttered.

"That's probably the case," Kero said. "Flower is a very friendly, fun loving card…anyways, you'd better seal her before your schoolmates drown…"

(A/N: Yes, I know this is very similar to the manga.)

"Right!" Alina said, and raised the staff.

"Return to the form you were meant to be…Sakura Card!"

The card grinned at her, and was sucked into the blank card at the end of Alina's staff. It floated into her hand, just like the Fly.

"The Flower," she read aloud, as she pulled a pen from her pocket and signed her name on the card. "Kero, what does it do?"

"You can summon different types of flowers…or banish them, I guess." Kero said, shrugging. "It's not one of the more potent cards…"

"Hmmm…" Alina mused. Suddenly, she had an idea. Raising the staff, she tossed Flower into the air and tapped it.

"Banish the petals from the courtyard! FLOWER!"

Below them, the flower petals vanished, revealing her gasping classmates.

"FLY!" she whispered, and flew themselves back to the ground, landing safely behind the trunk of the oak tree. The staff transformed back into the key, and she slung it around her neck as they stepped out from behind the tree.

Out in the courtyard, people were in a panic.

"What was that?"

"I thought I was going to drown!

"It was so scary!"

"How did the petals vanish all of the sudden?"

Meanwhile, Clarissa was telling anyone who would listen that Alina was responsible. Her only problem was that no one was listening.

Finally, everyone calmed down and headed back inside for class…still whispering.

In a corner of the courtyard, amber eyes watched the trio leave, the sadness even more evident this time.

"Flower was the first time I saw Sakura…" the invisible person whispered. He shook his head to dislodge the memories.

"That won't do you any good…you know she's gone."

And with a heavy heart, he vanished.

Meanwhile, in Alina's bag, Kero had been about to fall asleep…when, suddenly, he felt a pulse of familiar magic. It was gone as quickly as it had come, but he was sure it had been there…a green aura.

"It can't be…" he whispered. "The brat can't be here…"

And with that self assurance, he drifted off to sleep.

-x:x-

Before they could head home that afternoon, Alina pulled her friends into a thick copse of bushes outside the school.

"It isn't safe to walk home with Clarissa hanging around," she whispered.

"Then what are we going to do?" Joseph asked.

"What else?" she replied, smiling. "We're going to fly."

And with that, she tossed her key into the air.

"RELEASE!"

And then…

"FLY!"

Moments later, they were soaring through the clouds, laughing as Alina lazily went into a loop-de-loop. Five minutes later, they landed behind Alina's house, where they parted ways with calls of "Bye!" and "See you tomorrow!"

At last, Alina walked into her house, sighing.

"What an exhausting day…" she murmured. Sadly, she still had a ways to go before she could go to sleep…

-x:x-

Several hours later she shuffled into her room, yawning. She gave Kero the piece of cake she saved for him, eyes already half closed. Good thing she did her homework in study hall…because she definitely didn't have the energy to do it now. And with that, she collapsed onto her bed, fully clothed, and fell asleep. Her last coherent words were,

"Kero, you didn't tell me being a Cardcaptor could be so exhausting…"

Her words faded away into light snores, and her dreams were happy for the first time in a long while…

-x:x-

Outside Alina's window, a dark-haired figure smiled briefly, his features hidden by the night.

"You, Alina, are just like Sakura…" the man whispered, his eyes glinting with amusement behind moonlit spectacles.

"Good luck," he whispered. "From both me and my kawaii little descendant, even though he doesn't show it."

And with that, he vanished into the night, riding on the back of a winged black panther, guided by the sparkling light of the stars and the glowing light of the moon.

Author's Note: And that, my lovelies, is the end of Chapter Three: Angel Wings and Flower Petals. I hope you liked! Man, the CCS DVD is so freaking awesome…especially the mini-clip at the end. Seven words: Kero, Suppi, and one piece of Takoyaki…dun-dun-DUNNN! Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter; Through the Looking Glass. Can you figure out which two cards will be featured? xD See you next time! Au revoir! -poof-


End file.
